The Belly Blues

Another Lost Day

Stayed home today. The Belly didn't want me to do much but take pain medication. I tried all morning to get going without any medication, but finally at noon realized that I needed to just give in to the inevitable and take my trammadol. I have slept most of the day, and the trammadol is just able to take the edge off The Belly pain.

The Headache is still bothering me but I also have the stimulator turned down to the barely there settings. The muscles in the back of my neck are finally feeling normal again, so I will turn up the stimulator tomorrow and see if I can corral The Headache.

The Belly is really kicking a fit today. Wasn't too great yesterday afternoon. Hoping that maybe resting today and tonight will put it back to normal. If it doesn't get better tomorrow I will go and have my enzymes checked. Taking a vacation from eating should help.

I had hoped to work from home Monday night, but The Belly interfered. I medicated last night hoping to be able to work today, but lift off was not acheived. Hoping to go to work tomorrow!

Last year at this time I was recovering from a bout of acute pancreatitis AND The Headache was not controlled. I was considering trying for disability because I was in so much pain. This year The Headache is almost under control, and The Belly is my main concern. Wonder what will be my main concern next year? Hoping it won't be health related! I think it would be great if next year I just have to worry about where to go on vacation!

All my vacation time has been spent being ill the last couple of years. I would like to go on a real vacation and sit on a sunny beach listening to the ocean and feeling the warm breeze....or maybe up in the mountains, in a cabin near a clear stream with the air scented with cedar. Ahhh, just thinking about it makes me more relaxed!

Lost Day Saturday

The Headache, The Belly

Another lost day. Friday at work I had to medicate at work. I looked back over my typing later and I don't think I spelled two words in a row correctly! Yikes! Not professional, but we are in the middle of testing some interactive components with another system so my body and mind were needed. I guess my body was there, and some of my mind.

Today I have tried to keep The Headache at bay medicating every four hours. I've slept a lot but The Headache is not behaving. I wish The Belly wasn't such a picky thing, because I feel if I had an 60 mg injection of toradol The Headache would drop back to obscurity. I have changed stimulator settings every so many hours also, hoping that changing things up will help. It has helped some - I'm not at an emergency room yet, and four months ago I definitely would have been.

The Belly is not happy today because I ate a real meal - not much of a meal, but real food. I thought perhaps some of The Headache was coming from not eating for so many days, so I had supper tonight. It's almost one in the morning and The Belly hasn't calmed down yet. I took the maximum pancreatic enzyme pills I was allowed before eating, but it didn't seem to help. Maybe my pancreas is plugged up so any food makes it hurt. I may have to take another trammadol for The Belly pain. It helps it some, but doesn't do anything for The Headache.

I'm ready to get back to normal but I don't think The Headache or The Belly is cooperating. I'm debating whether or not to try to go back on short term disability again. I've not worked full time days hardly at all the last couple of months. The fatigue is almost too much. I can't hardly keep on going I'm so tired, yet the pain is not allowing me to have restful sleep, even when drugged.

My niece who lives in Kansas gotten bitten by a feral cat she was feeding, and is now getting rabies shots. Cat bites are serious, and are always considered a medical emergency. My niece has a soft spot in her heart for all animals, especially abandoned animals, but this time the cat was either sick or scared or just plain mean and definitely bit the hand that fed it. The cat is in quarentine and hopefully will not display signs of rabies and my niece may not need to continue the rabies series, as they are painful.

The family history has a story about the "mad stone" that was passed around and used through the years. The mad stone was actually a bezoar taken from the stomach of a deer. Supposedly this stone could be used to cure rabies. I suppose they just laid it on someone who had rabies?? Don't think I would want to try it myself. Gross.

Another Lost Day

Rain Rain Go Away!

Today is another lost day. Medication I took to abate both The Headache and The Belly kept me asleep all day - I woke up briefly a couple of times, but that was it. I don't remember even calling in to work! I hope I did, but today is a blur.

The Belly is having a fit this evening with spasms of pain despite the trammadol. If it keeps up I may have to go have my enzymes checked. It is trumping The Headache this evening. I am afraid the indomethacin should be discontinued, but I haven't any alternatives at this time. Wishing my headache trial was at the occipital stimulator implant stage. I'm not sure if I can hang on taking the indomethacin until then, and I'm not ready to relive the hell my life was last year before the indomethacin.

My Easter company has left, and I don't even know when. I didn't even get to enjoy seeing them. I guess I'm just feeling down this evening. Maybe its just the weather that is getting me down. I have to trust that tomorrow will be a better day!

Post Radiation Neuralgia

Pelvic Pain

I should have know yesterday was too good to last. The Headache is normal intensity today, and The Belly is feeling pretty good because it doesn't have to grind on food at the moment, but the nerves in my saddle region are on fire. I actually woke up from deep sleep whimpering and curled in a ball from the pain.

This pain is almost impossible to describe because it is inside riding right along the pelvic arch. I think it is acting up because the doctor was punching around on me the other day. The pain is mostly a background issue for me, but once in a while it flares up into pure lava flow agony. I am taking maximum trammadol today, and it's making a minimal dent. If it keeps up I may have to go get some muscle relaxers - that generally stops the leg issues.

I have found I can't stand for long since the radiation therapy five years ago, and I probably shouldn't have pranced around Wal-Mart with my shopping cart full of heavy items, and then gone home and cleaned. I did manage to finish my mopping this morning, but it isn't as complete as I wanted.

I am sure my two 13 hour driving days to Cleveland last month didn't help me with this issue, but travelling by plane is such a problem for me because of the security lines. Driving isn't too great, but I can take breaks when I need to and I use the cruise control as much as possible.

I'm just going to go lay down and curl into a ball - that removes the tension on my sciatic nerves. The physical therapist I had a few years ago said that she felt from her evaluation that I have scarring of the dura layer of my lower spine tethering the nerve roots in the sacral area from the radiation. Just one more broken bit because my warranty expired at 40, and I don't have an extended package.

O Pancreas O Pancreas

The Belly is in Charge

My pancreas today was lumping around in my belly like a bucking bronco. I ate some meat protein last night and The Belly didn't like it. I don't know what there is about protein that sets it off, but it sure is gripey today.

The Headache is behaving itself today after a very bad night last night, but it just may be that I am so medicated because of The Belly pain so I'm not noticing. If it keeps up tomorrow I may give up and see a doc about it, but I'm hoping a day of rest and relaxation will get The Belly back to tip top shape. Sometimes the doctors insist you go to the hospital and I don't really want to go.

I got about an hour of sleep last night and finally had to give up and take The Belly painkiller because The Headache was not cooperating and The Belly was lumping. Sometimes when The Belly lumps The Headache jumps. I'm not sure why.

I tried sleeping sitting up in the living room on my sectional, and after taking The Belly painkiller (just trammadol nothing terribly strong) I halfway dosed off. I kept waking from dreams thinking this dream looks just like my living room. Duh! I was looking at my living room! I took my morning bath and got ready to go to work, and sat down on the couch and the next thing I know its almost two o'clock in the afternoon and The Belly was trying to tie itself in knots.

I guess this just isn't my year to earn money. No work today! All I've eaten today are some grapes, and my medication. Not eating anything makes The Belly gripe about the indomethacin. I have cut down on the liquids because anything in The Belly is irritating it. There is no winning for losing here. I'm taking phenergan but the nausea is building and I may have to switch over to reglan. Hopefully tomorrow The Belly will be better and today will just be a distant memory. The Belly has won this round today.

I hope I qualify for the occipital stimulator study, because I am going to have to quit taking this indomethacin fairly soon if The Belly has anything to say about it. I'm just glad I have the best boss in the world. He's trying very hard to work with me to get me back to work full time!